Somerville Police press marijuana charges on New York man, juvenile

SOMERVILLE - Police charged John A. Rodriguez, 21, of Flushing, N.Y., with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after officers made a traffic stop of Rodiguez’s vehicle, a tan 1994 Toyota Camry on May 3 at about 9:27 p.m. The vehicle allegedly went through a red light at the corner of South Doughty Avenue and West Main Street.

According to investigators, after stopping Rodriguez, officers noticed the smell of raw marijuana coming from inside the Jeep. Officers asked Rodriguez to search his vehicle, and he complied telling the police that there was a quantity of marijuana in a compartment below the steering column.

Inside the compartment, police found a partially smoked marijuana blunt and five 1-by-1-inch baggies that were empty but contained minute particles of marijuana and had the odor of marijuana, police said.

After processing, Rodriguez was released on his own recognizance.

In a separate incident, police charged a 17-year-old boy with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in a motor vehicle after officers made a traffic stop of his 2001 Jeep Cherokee in the area of Mountain and West End avenues on May 3 at about 8 p.m. for a malfunctioning side brake light.

According to investigators, officers saw a clear glass jelly jar in the Jeep, which the teen turned over to police. It allegedly contained three marijuana buds. A second similar jar contained another bud. Officers also found inside his pocket 24 “dime bags” 1 inch by 1 inch in size, typically used to package marijuana.

After processing, the boy left police headquarters with his father, who was contacted by police.